field notes IOWA
WHERE CAN I FIND A TECH?
TOM JUNGE, Iowa Field Director [
tomj@ineda.com]
Where can I find a tech? This is a question I’m frequently asked by dealers. As a matter of fact, one day in early June I heard it from not one, but three dealers.
Finding technicians has been a problem for years and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. It may even get worse as more baby boomers retire. While there is no easy answer, some dealers have found success when it comes to recruiting and retaining techs. Here’s a look at what has worked for them.
Retention
I cannot discuss employee recruitment with a dealer without talking about existing techs first. If a dealer needs to replace a good tech that they lost to another business, then that needs to be addressed before spending resources on recruiting and training someone new, just to see them leave a short time later.
I recall one dealer who got tired of losing techs, so he decided to become the best paying dealer in the area for techs. When doing this he also raised his labor rate so he could afford to pay them. Years later he told me, “I fought the retention and hiring battle too long, so I decided to be the best paying employer in town. Now I don’t have that problem anymore.”
On the other hand was a dealer with a revolving door of techs who was low on the pay scale compared to other dealers and businesses in the community. While he recognized the problem, it was hard for him to make the change. He wanted to pay his techs more, but couldn’t raise his labor rates to cover the increased expense due to the inexperienced techs he had on staff (a vicious cycle). Finally, he decided to bite the bullet and pay his techs more, raising his labor rate after the techs gained experience. He later came to the realiza- tion that having more experienced techs on staff translated to both happier customers and increased productivity.
Understand Why You Are Losing Techs
Is it wages? Research what manufacturers, car dealers, truck dealers, county maintenance shops and other ag and construction dealers in your area are paying technicians. Have you asked why tech schools don’t cater to ag dealers? Is it because truck dealers pay more and it is easier for the school to recruit students to be techs for truck dealers than ag dealers? Find out!
Younger techs also desire free time. They don’t care to work weekends and want time off for family events like school activities. When talking with a dealer about recruitment, he mentioned that he heard from another employee that one of his best techs was getting pressure from his wife to change jobs so he could have more time off to attend their children’s school activities. After hearing this, the dealer met with the employee and accommodated his desire to leave early a couple days a week to attend spring sporting events.
One of our biggest competitors for techs in the past has been county maintenance facilities. Often, techs go to work there for the 40-hour workweek, as well as the state retirement plan. If these are big issues for techs to- day, then dealers better adjust. I’ve found a few dealers who have adjusted their workweek and are no longer open on Saturdays, except during planting and harvest seasons. Many more are considering this change. Last summer, one dealer offered employees Friday afternoon off without pay and was surprised with how many took him up on the offer to get a head start on weekend camping activities or traveling.
6 | The Retailer Magazine | July/Aug
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